Water-closet floor-coupling.



O. D. WHEELER. WATER CLOSET FLOOR. COUPLING. I

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 1, 1909.

938,533. Q Patented N0v. 2,-1909.

' "v W 1 W ./Z%[ Z4 lk v l 1 1 id 14 if 1 19 I i a" wi immwo V t 35H a iOLIVER D. WHEELER, OF CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA.

WATER-CLOSET FLOOR-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1909.

Application filed February'l, 1909. Serial No. 475,412.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER D. \VHEELER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Charlotte, in the county of Mecklenburg and State of NorthCarolina, have invented a new and useful ater-Closet Floor-Coupling, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to couplings and more particularly to means forconnecting the bowls of water closets and the like to the soil or drainpipe.

The object of the invention is to provide a floor coupling includingmating members, one of which is designed for attachment to the bowl andthe other to the floor, said members being provided with a ball andsocket connection so that the flange of the bowl may be adjusted toconform to any unevenness in the surface of the floor, while at the sametime insuring a tight joint between the parts.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coupling, theconstruction and relative disposition of the several parts of which issuch as positively to insure a water and gas tight joint at theconnection of the bowl with the soil pipe and thus prevent the escape ofsewer gas into the house.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve thisclass of devices so as to increase their utility, durability andefficiency.

Further objects and advantages will appear in the following description,it being understood that various changes in form, proportions and minordetails of construction may be resorted to within the scope of theappended claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of thisspecification:-Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a floor couplingor connection constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is atop plan view of the upper section of the coup-ling detached.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of thefigures of the drawings.

The improved coupling forming the subject matter of the presentinvention is principally designed for connecting the bowls of waterclosets to the soil or waste pipe and in its preferred embodimentcomprises mating sections 5 and 6, one of which is provided with anexterior spherical bearing surface 7 for engagement with acorrespondingly shaped socket 8 formed in the mating member, therebyforming in effect a ball and socket joint at the juncture of saidmembers.

The upper section 5 is provided with a reduced extension 9 adapted tofit within an annular seating groove formed in the interior wall of thebowl 12, said extension being provided with one or more laterallyextending lugs 10 which enter correspondingly shaped sockets 11 formedin the wall of the bowl and intersecting the seating groove. The wall 12is preferably provided with an annular flange 13, adapted to bearagainst the upper surface of the floor, indicated at 1 The lower section6 is providedat its upper end with exterior threads 15 for engagementwith the interior threads of a stationary collar or floor plate 16.

The floor plate 16 is seated in a recess 17 formed in the base of theflange 13 and is arranged with its inner edge projecting over theopening 18 in the floor so that the lower section 6 may be readilyattached thereto;

The section 6 is provided with a circumferential rib 19 defining anannular shoulder 20 which bears against the soil pipe 21, the

latter being arranged in contact with the exterior walls of the section(3 beneath the shoulder 20 and is combined therewith in any suitablemanner as by a wipe joint 22.

Extending through suitable perforations in the flange 13 are clampingbolts 23 the heads of which bear against the upper surface of the floor14:, while the shanks of said bolts pass through the plate 16 andperforations in the flange 13 for engagement with suitable clamping nuts24, by means of which the bowl is held rigidly combined with the lowersection 6. Thus it will be seen that by rotating the lower section 6,the mating sections may be brought into close contact with each other,thereby to form a good joint between the parts and thus positivelyprevent the escape of sewer gas to the interior of the house. It willalso be noted that by reason of the ball and socket connection betweenthe members 5 and 6, said members may be adjusted relatively withrespect to each other so as to adapt the flange of the bowl to anyunevenness in the surface of the floor, while at the same time insuringa water and gas tight connection between theseetions of the coupling.Such a device is particularly useful where the upper surface of thefloor is arranged at a slight angle or inclination, the ball and socketconnection laterally so that the bowl will be firmly supported on thefloor and parallel therewith.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that there is provided anextremely simple, inexpensive and eflicient device admirably adaptedfor-the attainment of the ends in view.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is p 1. Thecombination with a bowl having its interior wall provided with anannular seating groove intersected by spaced sockets, of a couplingincluding mating sections, one of which is provided with a sphericalhead and a reduced upper portion fitted within the seating groove andhaving a series of lugs entering said sockets, the other section beingprovided with exterior threads and having an interior socket for thereception of the head of the mating section, a clamping plate seated ina recess in the bowl and provided with interior threads for engagementwith the exterior threads on the adjacent section, a shoulder formed onthe socket carrying section for engagement with a soil pipe, and meansconnecting the soil pipe to the adjacent section of the coupling.

2. The combination with a bowl having a laterally extending flange, thelower face of which is provided with a recess, there being an annularseating groove formed in the interior wall of said bowl and intersectedby spaced sockets, of a coupling including mating. sections, one ofwhich is provided at its lower end with a curved exterior bearingsurface and having its upper end seated in the groove in the bowl andprovided with a series of lugs entering said sockets, the other sectionbeing formed with an interior curved bearing surface engagin theexterior bearing surface of the mating section and having its upperportion provided with exterior threads and its lower portion formed withpermitting the flange to be tilted an annular reinforcing rib defining astop shoulder, a plate seated in the recess in the flange of the bowland provided with a central openin the walls of which are threaded l forengagement with i on the lower section, there being perforations formedin the plate, clamping bolts seated in said perforations and extendedthrough openings in the flange of the bowl engaging with clamping nuts,3. soil pipe bearing against the shoulder on the lower section, andmeans for securing the soil pipe in engagement with said lower section.

3. The combination with a bowl having a laterally extending flange, thelower face of which is provided with a recess, there being an annularseating groove formed in the interior wall of said bowl and intersectedby spaced sockets, of a coupling including mating sections, one of whichis formed with l a spherical head and a reduced upper portion defining ashoulder, there being spaced I lugs formed on the reduced portion of theupper coupling section and fitting within the socket in the bowl, thelower coupling being provided with a socket for the reception of saidspherical head and having means for attachment to a soil pipe, a ringseated in the recess in the flange in the bowl and provided withinterior threads engaging threads formed on the exterior wall of thelower coupling piercing the plate and flange respectively, the shoulderon the upper coupling, and the top of the lower coupling section beingdisposed in horizontal alinement with the upper surface of the saidplate.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

OLIVER D. VHEELER.

\Vitnesses C. F. GALLIHER, MARVIN V. HELM.

section, fastening devicesthe exterior threads

